Fire-box for locomotives



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. D. SHEPHERD.

I FIRE BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 552,671. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

AN DREW EGRAHAM. Pflu'rOmHQWASmNGTON. D C

(No Model.) 4 Sheeps sheet 2. I

F. 1). SHEPHERD.

FIRE BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 552,671. Patented Jan 7, 1896.

QLM/QM M54 W W W y /%AM% AN DREW BYGRAMM. PHDTO-LrmQWASm HGTON. 0.0.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. F D. SHEPHERD FIRE BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 552,671. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

- 55 n w w 1 AN DREW EGRAHAM. PHD'TUU'MO WASHIN EIONJJ C (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 4.

P. D. SHEPHERD. FIRE BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 552,671. Patented Jan. '7, 1896.

0%0Z4i4461fl ZW/QMA, W W V ii iizi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK D. SHEPHERD, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-BOX FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,671, dated January7, 1896.

Application filed July 11,1895. Serial No. 556,617. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. SHEPHERD, of Aurora, in the county of Kane,and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Boxes for Locomotives; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanyin g drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the firebox of a locomotive-boiler constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a lon gitudiual section of thesame. Figs. 3 and l are transverse sections upon the lines .20 a: and 11 respectively, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of thefeed-water heater; i lg. 6, a like view of two of the brick archscctionsseparated from each other.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in the severalfigures.

The design of my invention is to render more perfect than heretofore thecombustion of the fuel in the furnaces of locomotives and othersteam-boilers; and to this end said in vention consists in the fire-boxor furnace, and in the construction and combination of the partsthereof, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter described.

As my invention has been designed more especially with reference tolocomotives, I illustrate the same as applied to the fire-box or furnacethereof; but it is of course to be understood that this involves nolimitation thereunto of such features of the invention as are adaptableto other steam-boiler furnaces.

In its general construction the fire-box A shown does not differessentially from the common form, and is designed for use with atire-tube boiler of usual construction.

Resting upon and fastened to a base or bed plate 13 at the forward endof the fire-box, close to the rear fluesheet of the boiler, is afeedwater heater, comprising a suitably-braced lower portion 0, havingits side toward the boiler-sheet made concave, and an upper c011-tracted portion 0 that inclines upward and rcarwardly and is braced withhorizontal tubular stay-bolts D. Connection is made at each side of theheater, through its bottom, with the injectors or other sources ofsupply of water, a check-valve E being provided at each inlet and hoodedor covered at the side sheet of the heater adjacent to the fire to causethe water entering the heater to strike the side sheet farthest from thefire. The connection F between the heater and the boiler is located atthe transverse center of the upper portion vc of the former. Hand-holesare provided at suitable points for cleaning purposes.

For the removal of ashes accumulating between the fine-sheet and thefeed-water heater an opening I) is provided through the bed-plate B,that is adapted to discharge ashes into the ash-pan. Such opening, ifleft uncovered either permanently or even for more than the briefestinterval, would be obj ectionable by reason of the admission of coldair, and accordingly a slide or cover G is provided upon the under sideof said bed-plate B, which is adapted to be reciprocated to close andunclosc it. Inasmuch as such slide is at a place inaccessible to thefireman to be operated by hand, and since it is desirable to have theopening Z) uncovered and covered rapidly, said slide is connected to apiston g in a small cylinder H, bolted to the under side of thebed-plate B. Steam may be alternately admitted to opposite sides of thepiston g through pipes h and h, that run to a three-way valve I,receiving steam from the boiler, and preferably mounted upon the top ofthe fire-box in convenient reach of the fireman.

The top edge of the bed-plate B is provided with fingers I) and b thatform part of the dump-grate J, of the usual construction, provided atthe bottom of the fire-box.

Extending from the feed-water heater to a point near the rear end of thefirebox at sufficient height above the fire-door as not to interferewith firing is a brick arch composed of a series of sections constructedand arranged as follows: Resting upon and supported by the top edge ofthe feed-water heater is a section K, having its upper side curved andrabbeted to receive the front edge of a second section K, having itsrear edge recessed or rabbeted at its upper side to receive anoverlapping rib or projection upon the front edge of a third section KThe rear edge of the latter is constructed precisely like the similaredge of the second section, and is overlapped by the front end of asection K constructed precisely like the sec tion K and the rear edgewhereof is also engaged in like manner by a fifth similar section K.Overlapping the rear edge of the latter is a sixth section K upon therear portion of the upper side of which rests a seventh vertical sectionK, whose upper edge is flat and abuts against the under side of thecrownsheet of the fire-box. At their ends all of the several sectionsexcept the first and last are inclined and rest upon and are supportedby a correspondingly-inclined surface a upon each side of the fire-box,and said sections are made successively shorter from the last one to thefirst, so that they decline toward the front end of the firebox toincrease the space above the arch from the rear to the front to providefor the forwardly-increasing volume of gases. In the rear edge of thesection K and the front edge of the section K and in both edges of thethree intervening sections there is a semicircular groove that extendsfrom each end of the section to within a short distance of the centerthereof, which form when the sections abut a circular passage betweenthem. Each passage thus formed communicates with a pipe L, passingthrough the side wall of the fire-box from the outside, which connectswith a source of supply of air under pressure, preferably the mainreservoir of the air-brake system, a suitable reducing-valve beingplaced in the connection with said reservoir. Each groove forming apassage is connected by a number of small horizontal openings withvertical openings k passing entirely through the section. In addition tothe vertical openings k each section provided with the latter has anadditional row of vertical openings k not connected with the air-supply.The vertical section K has a number of horizontal openings k for thepassage of the flame and other products of combustion, and in its upperedge a number of grooves 7& to enable the latter to pass close to thecrown-sheet.

By the construction described a large vol ume of air is discharged intothe fire-box and at such points as to effect the thorough mixing of thegases and its mingling therewith, so as to produce most perfectcombustion.

In addition to the air supplied through the pipes L and L provision ismade for supply ing more air to the fire-box to promote co1nbus tion byemploying several-preferably four diffusing-tubes M and M, passingthrough the water-space of the fire-box at the rear end 'of the fire-boxand located just above the firedoor, and arranged in a curved linecorresponding with the curvature of the brick arch. At the inner end ofeach tube M is an Air is supplied to the tubes M from the same source asthe pipes L are supplied, and to enable the quantity of air passingthrough each tube to be regulated at will a suitable valve is providedfor each.

The construction and position of the feedwater heater is such that inaddition to its primary object of heating the water it supports thebrick arch, it directs the general course of the flames, so that theyenter the boiler-tubes more nearly horizontally than they would withoutsuch a deflector, and it prevents lumps of coal being constantly thrownagainst the ends of the fines, to the injury of the beaded ends of thelatter.

It is of course understood that a suitable valve will be provided in themain pipe connection with the air-supply to enable the air at will to becompletely cut off from the firebox.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationof a fire box, an arch comprising a substantially horizontal portionhaving vertical openings, and a vertical portion at the rear end of thefire box having horizontal openings, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. The combination of a firebox, a feed water heater therein, abed platefor the heater, having an opening for the discharge of ashes, and apower actuated slide for covering and uncovering such openings,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a fire box, a feed water heater therein, a bedplate for the heater having an opening for the discharge of ashes, aslide to cover and uncover such opening,

and a steam actuated piston connected to saidslide, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

at. The combination of the fire box, the feed water heater at theforward end thereof, the horizontal sectional arch, the front section ofwhich rests upon said heater, and having vertical and horizontalopenings, pipes communicating with the latter for supplying air thereto,the vertical member of said arch at the rear end thereof havinghorizontal openin gs, and the air supplying tubes having each a numberof discharge openings, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

The combination of the fire box, the feed water heater therein the waterinlet having a hood to direct the water to the side of the heater awayfrom the fire in the box, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this4th day of June, 1895.

FRANK D. SHEPHERD. lVitnesses H. O. LITTLE, E. T. PRINDLE.

